- The excitement surrounding James Blake's first London gig since announcing his next LP was palpable from streets away. By now we'd all heard the stunning first single, "Retrograde," and indeed as I approached the regal arches of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, the place buzzing with anticipation.
Blake and his two band members took the stage right on schedule. Despite the high energy in the room, the start of the show was slow-burning and heavy on old favourites: "Lindesfarne," "Limit To Your Love" and "CMYK" all made an appearance, flexing the sound system's fierce low-end and erupting into a frenzy as the drummer let loose on a fast-paced dubby section.
Still, the focus was very much on Blake. "Got a new album, so… yeah, I really like it," he said, before explaining that we'd be serving as guinea pigs for some of the new album's material—theoretically it could have gone wrong, but I got the feeling it would have been hard to displease this crowd. Sure enough, the unheard tracks felt less like a departure from the James Blake sound we know and more like an expansion. It's clear Blake has been honing his vocal skills of late. Plinks and piano chords mingled with plummeting basslines and steady snares, but above all it was his warble that rang throughout the room.
"Retrograde" made for a fitting finale, with Blake carrying his voice through mellow rises and falls, sending the room into a sway before a cacophony of chords turned it all into pure elation. It may not have been as pitch-perfect as on record, but it was an impressive effort and rounded off an evening that seemed altogether deserving of the attention.